Under Destruction – Experimental Build

Under Destruction — Experimental Build (Technical Overview)

This build is an experimental and condensed version of Under Destruction, created to test an action-oriented gameplay approach and to evaluate immediate combat engagement compared to the more strategic focus of the Early Access version.

Combat and Weapon Systems

The combat system is based on predictive weapon mechanics, where the aiming point is dynamically calculated according to the target’s velocity and movement direction, providing an estimated ballistic interception point.

Missiles use active target tracking and homing logic, with behaviors that vary depending on the target type.

Weapons and ammunition are managed through a loot-based system, allowing the player to:

• manually load and unload weapons
• switch weapons via the HUD
• use hotkeys for quick weapon swapping and fast reloads

Movement and Flight

The main character (Spyro) uses a simulated physical flight model, inspired by real-world FPV drone control experiences (e.g. Betaflight and similar systems).

The model has been adapted and simplified to ensure readability and control within a gameplay context, while still preserving a credible inertial response.

Support Units

Spyro can deploy and use a support vehicle called RAIL.
This vehicle is dropped from high altitude onto the player’s position; once connected, the player can take possession of it.

RAIL is designed for medium- to long-range assaults on enemy structures, featuring a ballistic cannon capable of firing multiple projectile types.

Enemies and Behavior

Enemy units include:

• helicopters
• attack aircraft (A-10–type)
• converted drones based on the Spyro platform
• ground-based missile launcher trucks
• ground units equipped with machine guns

Enemy AI relies on advanced behavior logic, inspired by realistic combat scenarios.
For example:

• helicopters attempt to maintain believable engagement distances and angles
• A-10 units perform attack runs against specific targets

Destruction and Effects

Explosions and environmental destruction are implemented using Unreal Engine’s Chaos Physics system, entirely runtime-based (no cache manager).

As a result, structures are fully destructible in real time.

Visual effects make use of:

• Niagara for particle systems
• Heterogeneous Volumes for volumetric smoke

These systems have been optimized through custom C++ clipping algorithms, significantly reducing computational cost while maintaining stable performance in high-effect-density scenarios.

Performance

On reference hardware (RTX 4070), the build runs at an average of 90–100 FPS.
The project is currently in an active optimization phase.

Build Goals

This build does not represent the complete Under Destruction experience.

Its purpose is to collect feedback on:

• action pacing
• weapon feel
• combat readability
• level of immediate player engagement

In particular, we aim to evaluate whether the current action-focused direction is effective, or if the experience should be slowed down to place greater emphasis on the strategic layer.


IMPORTANT NOTICE

An introductory tutorial is not included in this version, while it is included in the Early Access version. Players are expected to independently explore and understand the core mechanics.